How to Harness Kenyan Youths Talents.

There are a lot of Kenyan Youths in the Diaspora who have by all standards made a mark in their areas of speciality. These talents are being accused of not coming home to serve their fatherland. Their lack of home coming certainly cannot be attributed to lack of patriotism.

Critics fail to understand that, these talents that are of Kenyan origin have sacrificed a lot in North America and Europe to build the enviable careers they have. These Kenyan Youths have acquired skills and learned how to work in cost-effective ways. So if not for lack of patriotism, why are such individuals reluctant to come home and contribute their own quota to the development of their fatherland? It may be because there is no mechanism for engaging the Diaspora and harnessing their potential.

So what can the authorities in Kenya do to set up this mechanism?

Platform
The government needs to create a platform and in doing so, it has to consider that these individuals are already established professionals with very good careers in their host nations. The authorities have to use this consideration in creating a level playing ground for all professionals both local and those coming from the Diaspora. After all, nobody will want to leave a lucrative and satisfying career, only to take up a job where he considers himself underemployed. If the government cannot do this, it may find it hard to convince its youthful talents in the Diaspora to come home and contribute their own quota.

Technology
The government in Kenya can use modern technology as an advantage to harness its youthful talents in the Diaspora. With the universal reach of the internet, it can give distance employment to these youths. This will give the opportunity to plug into their expertise without them being physically present. Not having to be physically present might be the motivating factor that will attract them to contribute their talents to Kenyan government entities. For an example, the government can create fellowship or expatriate positions in the civil service.

Involvement
For a start, the government can even get such professionals to create and propose a system. Since they are the ones that are under the spotlight in this instance, they will have some of the best ideas on how the government can go about implementing such a program. It is heart warming to know that the office of the president has established a section for communicating with the Diaspora. This assures one that the issue of harnessing talents in the Diaspora will get adequate attention.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto can benefit from the talents in creating a more functional administration at a much lower cost. These talents from the Diaspora will then help train the next generation of Kenyan professionals in strategies that improve leadership competency skills and cost-effective management. The success of the whole system will depend on what the Kenyan authorities will be ready to give these professionals. Whatever it is, it has to be worth their while.